Any Colombian who transits thru France and his/her final destination is a non-schengen country, must acquire a Schengen transit visa.

IMO, huge blow for AF. AF carries at least 70% of all Colombia-Asia traffic and most of Colombia-Africa/Middle East traffic too. Of course, AF is the only option in many of these markets but people will prefer to go via the US if they have their visas already, even if its less direct.

I'm surprised there are no comments on this thread you started, RCS763AV.

Maybe its the perception that when the U.S. imposes visa requirements, outraged posters decry this as a violation of human rights and an affront to the dignity of the human race. When others do it, it's a proper exercise in national sovereignty and rational self interest.

Quoting Lumberton (Reply 1):Maybe its the perception that when the U.S. imposes visa requirements, outraged posters decry this as a violation of human rights and an affront to the dignity of the human race. When others do it, it's a proper exercise in national sovereignty and rational self interest.

Indeed, that is always the excuse (US=bad, Others=national sovereignity). Transit visas are a violation to human dignity, no matter which country imposes them.

Looking at the application, it appears that France is concerned about illegal immigration from Colombia; they ask for contact information for the applicant's employer (or maybe that's just because they're using a standard Schengen Visa application form). Has France had a problem with illegal immigrants from Colombia?

Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 3):Has France had a problem with illegal immigrants from Colombia?

No actually, the one with problems is Spain. I think France must be very prevented since they have been having all this immigrant-related problems lately. But still imposing transit visas is not the solution.

I cannot possibly believe that this transit visa requirement is a France-only affair. Since it states that Colombian nationals need a Schengen transit visa, I would venture to say that it's a Schenen-wide requirement. That said, the intricacies of the Schengen visa policy, or lack thereof, are a never ending source of bewilderment.

It is not arbitrary! During the last years we had (specially in Spain) a large number of immigrants coming from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba and Dominican Republic, as no Schengen Visa was required.

Even for Cubans a transit visa was required a long time ago, when Cubana operated the flight HAV-MAD-SVO, because lots of Cubans requested asylum during the stop-over in MAD.

However, Cubans need a Schengen Visa for entry in the EU, but they don't require a transit visa in the EU if the transit airport is not located in Spain and their final destination is a non-Schengen country. The same applies for Colombians who don't need a transit visa if transiting in Spain (this may change though).

And Germany has a different list, Turkish citizens need a transit visa for Germany if their final destination is a non-Schengen country. But a Turkish citizen does not need a transit visa if transiting in France

Also a citizen of Cameroon does not need a transit visa if transiting at a German airport, but then again......are there any flights linking Cameroon and Germany?

Here's the list of this weird transit visa requests within the EU (not updated):

Quoting IberiaA319 (Reply 8):It is not arbitrary! During the last years we had (specially in Spain) a large number of immigrants coming from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba and Dominican Republic, as no Schengen Visa was required.

That's interesting. Are you suggesting that large numbers of Bolivians and Venezuelans do not emigrate?

Quoting Lumberton (Reply 1):Maybe its the perception that when the U.S. imposes visa requirements, outraged posters decry this as a violation of human rights and an affront to the dignity of the human race. When others do it, it's a proper exercise in national sovereignty and rational self interest

Perhaps this has got few posts because France's inward looking policies have been beaten to death on A.Net; if you did a popularity contest and took out America-Europe origin, I am willing to bet that the U.S. would not be considered most hated. Guess who the front-runner would be .

I would not classify it as much as a HR violation. However, it does smack of an inability of a lot of other things ... most importantly, its an admission of the French (in this instance) that their airport security apparatus do not work .

To my Colombian friends: vote with your wallet and avoid CDG. I know the French imposed it on Indians for a bit in the past and Indians boycotted AF. Within a month or two, the visa requirements were gone as Indian connecting traffic in CDG is too lucrative. Just vote with your wallet; that is the best response you can give to policies one does not agree with.

Quoting Kiramakora (Reply 11):To my Colombian friends: vote with your wallet and avoid CDG. I know the French imposed it on Indians for a bit in the past and Indians boycotted AF. Within a month or two, the visa requirements were gone as Indian connecting traffic in CDG is too lucrative. Just vote with your wallet; that is the best response you can give to policies one does not agree with.

Not surprising, a surprisingly significant percentage of US-India traffic passes through Paris on AF. It has to be quite lucrative for them.

Quoting Kiramakora (Reply 11):However, it does smack of an inability of a lot of other things ... most importantly, its an admission of the French (in this instance) that their airport security apparatus do not work

Coud you please explain transit visas for colombians and the link with a supposed screwed airport security?
do you mean to say colombians are a security threat and it has been chosen to focus on them via a visa for that reason?
enlighten me

I am sorry for colombians but as mentioned a spaniard here before, the number of illegals from that country is incredibly high in Spain and in other EU countries nowadays: what goes around comes around

Quoting HB-IWC (Reply 6):I cannot possibly believe that this transit visa requirement is a France-only affair. Since it states that Colombian nationals need a Schengen transit visa, I would venture to say that it's a Schenen-wide requirement.

That's exactly what I thought.

Ridiculous if different countries can have different rules, it's bad enough when one embassy reguarly gives multiple entry 3-month stay visas while another gives 14-day no matter what documentation you have.

When transferring at CDG, one stays in a secured area for the entire time - unless connecting domestically or to another Schenegen country, in which case they have to do immigration. If security worked properly, how would the transiting Colombian passenger actually enter France? They could ONLY get out past the security checks. And if they could get out past the security checks, then the airport is not very secure, and ceteris paribus would warrant the French government to require transit visas.

I said DIGNITY violation. Why in feakin hell do you have to pay money (different from the airport fee) to go thru an aiport just b/c they think youll skip security and enter the country, theyre basically saying Colombian citizens (and others) are capable of doing such things. I mean entry visas should be required if the country has immigration troubles, but transit visas are just stupid.

Quoting Kiramakora (Reply 15):When transferring at CDG, one stays in a secured area for the entire time - unless connecting domestically or to another Schenegen country, in which case they have to do immigration. If security worked properly, how would the transiting Colombian passenger actually enter France? They could ONLY get out past the security checks. And if they could get out past the security checks, then the airport is not very secure, and ceteris paribus would warrant the French government to require transit visas.

Quoting Kiramakora (Reply 15):When transferring at CDG, one stays in a secured area for the entire time - unless connecting domestically or to another Schenegen country, in which case they have to do immigration. If security worked properly, how would the transiting Colombian passenger actually enter France? They could ONLY get out past the security checks. And if they could get out past the security checks, then the airport is not very secure, and ceteris paribus would warrant the French government to require transit visas

Sorry this demo is flawed
you mix up immigration principles and security issues
if colombians enter France it's because immigration is not checking what theY are supposed to check: this has nothing to do with security issue

oh, of course, who am I to tell you so?
just an ex security manager at CDG

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 17):if colombians enter France it's because immigration is not checking what theY are supposed to check: this has nothing to do with security issue

= What are you talking about?

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 17):oh, of course, who am I to tell you so?
just an ex security manager at CDG

= Sure.

I agree too. This transit visa demonstrates the incompetence of the French policing of its airports. In my books, transit visas make "sense" only for those countries whose airports are not built with secure transit areas - example: USA and Canada.

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 17):if colombians enter France it's because immigration is not checking what theY are supposed to check: this has nothing to do with security issue

= Perhaps if you spent time analyzing what people say instead of blind defending of the Republic, it would help. Why would immigration be at fault here? International transfers happen within a secure area @ CDG. Why would immigration apparently not be checking what they are supposed to check? That makes no sense. Again, as already mentioned before by another A.Netter, transiting within a secure area does not require immigration. Uugh.

To be honest, I haven't seen a valid reason to impose transit visas in this case. This will only hurt AF, but I guess that being the only carrier in the roue, I guess they won't feel the heat, unless AV steps in their face..........but who knows.

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 17):if colombians enter France it's because immigration is not checking what theY are supposed to check: this has nothing to do with security issue

To be honest, I don't even have a clue of what the hell you're talking about. I don't even want to think that you implied that colombians should not get in France at all...........of course, why would a french say something like that, again, who knows..........

Quoting Abrelosojos (Reply 20): International transfers happen within a secure area @ CDG. Why would immigration apparently not be checking what they are supposed to check? That makes no sense. Again, as already mentioned before by another A.Netter, transiting within a secure area does not require immigration. Uugh.

Quoting Kiramakora (Reply 15):When transferring at CDG, one stays in a secured area for the entire time - unless connecting domestically or to another Schenegen country, in which case they have to do immigration

This is the real clue of this issue here. Why using a seat belt if your car doesn't work?? A bit paranoid?? Of course not, the only paranoids in this world are the freaking gringos. Just one question, how big is the illegal colombian community in France, or even better, how many colombians use CDG to enter into the country illegaly transiting to somewhere else (I will assume a non-Schengen country of course)? Is it too difficult to handle the incredibly amount of ONE daily flight between Colombia and CDG, that french authorities realized is just almost a thread to their national interests? How many of pax of that daily flight really transit to a third country? Againg, this whole issue doesn't make sense at all, not even a bit, but..............who knows.......

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 17):if colombians enter France it's because immigration is not checking what theY are supposed to check

I know I've quoted this same sentence on this reply, but I want to really understand this before I go to bed. Maybe if colombians got into french soil is because MOST got french VISAS given by the French Embassy in BOGOTA. So, instead of giving everybody, including the very Frenchissima AF, a headache, why not just looking better before issuing the visas.....but again, who knows.....

IMO, and getting a bit more serious, I think the French govt is setting up some rules before AV gets back in the route, which I guess will be done in 2007, but......who knows.

Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 19):whenever you want I can document what I say about CDG and being a security manager, but it would be a complete loss of time as you probably would say you have no idea of what I talk about...

No need to prove anything, I will still think you don't have a clue in this issue. This runs deepper than just a security issue. Maybe ABRELOSOJOS agrees with me.